KCPD reminds residents that celebratory gunfire is illegal and dangerous

While some people celebrate New Year’s with a toast of champagne, others celebrate by firing off guns. Shooting a firearm within Kansas City limits is illegal on New Year’s and every single day, said the Kansas City Police Department.

Police are warning residents not to fire weapons over the holiday and that celebratory gunfire can be deadly. Last year, a stray bullet killed 11-year-old Blair Shanahan-Lane on July 4 outside her east Kansas City home. The shot that killed her was fired into the air some distance away.

Officers will arrest and jail anyone who is caught shooting a firearm into the air. In addition to being deadly, these shots disturb neighborhoods and divert police resources away from other crimes, KCPD said. During the last New Year’s holiday, the Kansas City Police Department received 149 calls regarding the sound of shots fired from 10 p.m. Dec. 31, 2011, to 5 a.m. Jan. 1, 2012.

“Firing a gun in city limits is against the law 365 days a year, and that includes New Year’s Eve,” Chief Darryl Forté said. “Residents should be able to celebrate the holiday safely and not be in fear of being struck by a stray bullet. Officers will be on the lookout for this illegal gunfire and will arrest perpetrators.”